Mary
is the lovely Mother of the world. She is the beautiful Queen of
Heaven. Now the sweetest gift that people give to a mother and
a queen is a bouquet of flowers. Mary, since that first Christmas,
has been wonderfully good to all her children. So we love to give
her roses. Since she is in heaven, it is hard to give her roses
from our gardens. Yet we do this when we decorate her shrines.
Always we can give her our Rosary, a beautiful bouquet of prayers.
So we lay the Rosary in the arms of our Queen and Mother.

Like
all the great saints, Saint Dominic deeply loved GodÃ­s Mother,
Mary. He dedicated his splendid priests, the Dominicans, to her.
Dominic taught men to love the name of Jesus. He longed to make
them know and love the sweet Mother of Jesus. He wanted them to
pray to her, to think of her, to recall the wonderful life of Jesus
and Mary. Mary loved her son, Dominic. So she gave him a string
of beads like a necklace. She taught him how to use it. She asked
him to give it to the world. And from that day on, men and women
have used the Rosary when they pray to GodÃ­s Mother.

Sometimes,
when we pray to Mary, we talk to her. Sometimes, when we pray to
Mary, we just think about her and her Son. When we use the Rosary,
we talk to her and think about her and Jesus at the same time.
For our vocal prayers we use the Apostles Creed, the Our Father,
the Hail Mary, the Glory Be to the Father. For our mental prayers,
we think about the great events in the life of Mary and her divine
Son called Mysteries. So when we use the Rosary, we talk to the
Blessed Trinity, to Our Father in Heaven, and to Mary herself.
And all the while we keep think about the great events that filled
the life of Jesus and Mary on earth.

Often
we call the Rosary our "beads." Almost every Catholic
carries these beads in his pocket or in her purse. Little children
love to say them with their parents. When Catholics die, usually
their beads are twined through their fingers and they are buried
with them. Great saints have called their beads a ladder leading
up to heaven. But simple, uneducated people loved them too. Today,
good Catholics say them when they walk, in street cars, while they
wait for friends, at night in their rooms, driving their autos,
wherever they have a minute to think of Jesus and talk to Mary.

Most
beads are only one-third the full Rosary. The beads start with
a crucifix. On this, we recite the Apostles Creed. Then on all
the large beads we say the Our Father. At the beginning of the
Rosary there is one of these large beads. Following it are three
small beads. On each bead we say the Hail Mary. The beads are connected
with a chain. When we come to the big space that follows each group
of Hail Marys we say the Glory Be to the Father. The beads are
grouped in decades called Mysteries; one Our Father, ten Hail Marys,
and one Glory Be. On a small set of beads, there are five decades.
On a complete Rosary, there are now twenty decades, with the inclusion
of the Luminous Mysteries.

We
like to say important things over and over again. Our mother loves
to hear us say repeatedly, "Mother, I love you!" When
a hero passes, the crowds keep shouting, "Hooray! Hooray!" So
in the Rosary we repeat the beautiful Hail Mary. Mary loves to
think we greet her over and over again. But while we do this, we
keep thinking about her and her Son. We pick a scene from her life
and the life of our Lord. We think of that while we say one decade.
So with our voices we praise and love God and Mary. And all the
time, we keep thinking about the things that made her happy, the
cruel Passion of Our Lord that made her sad, the glorious events
that made her Queen of Heaven.

So
when we start the Rosary, we ask ourselves what day of the week
it is. If it is Monday or Thursday, we say, "For the five
decades of my beads, I will think of the things that filled MaryÃ­s
heart with joy." These are the Joyful Mysteries. If it is
Tuesday or Friday, we say, "Today I will think of the things
that made the heart of our Mother sad." These are the Sorrowful
Mysteries. If it is Wednesday or Saturday, we say, "This day
I will think only of those things which made Mary deeply happy." These
are the Glorious Mysteries. If it is Sunday in Advent and up to
Lent, we think of the Joyful Mysteries. During Lent on Sunday we
think of the Sorrowful Mysteries. The rest of the year on Sundays
we think of the Glorious Mysteries, the Luminous Mysteries are
to be said on Thursdays.

When
you get a new Rosary, you should have it blessed (if a priest is
available). The Popes have loved the Rosary very much. So they
gave priests power to bless the Rosary, and when they do, each
bead carries with it an Indulgence. This Indulgence is the remission
of the temporal punishment we must suffer for our sins either on
earth or in Purgatory. There are various kinds of Rosary blessings
and each has a different kind of Indulgence. One blessing is called
the Dominican, for the great Saint Dominic who received the Rosary
from Mary. Another is called the Apostolic. This is the blessing
of the Pope. Another is called the Crosier, which makes us think
of the cross on the Rosary.

Pope
Pius X said: "If you want peace in your heart, in your home,
in your country, assemble together every night and say the ROSARY.
Many complain that it is tiring repetition Ä that they cannot meditate
on the mysteries. Our Blessed Mother gave this advice to St. Dominic: "This
is why, before doing anything else, priests should try to kindle
a love of prayer in peopleÃ­s hearts and especially a love of my
rosary. If only they would all start saying it and persevere, God,
in His mercy, could hardly refuse to give them His grace. So I
want you to preach My Rosary!"

St.
Louis de Montfort said: "I beg of you to beware of thinking
of the Rosary as something of little importance Ä as do ignorant
people and even several great but proud scholars. Far from being
insignificant, the Rosary is a priceless treasure which is inspired
by God." He also tells us: "For never will anyone who
says his Rosary every day become a formal heretic or be led astray
by the devil."

St.
Dominic prayed to Our Lady that she would force the devils, who
possessed a man, to reveal the truth about devotion to her. The
devils were forced by Our Lady to reveal: "Now that we are
forced to speak we must also tell you this: Nobody who perseveres
in saying the Rosary will be damned, because she obtains for her
servants the grace of true contrition for their sins and by means
of this they obtain GodÃ­s forgiveness and mercy."

St.
Teresa of Avila tells us how priceless a treasure it is by showing
the value and merits of a single HAIL MARY. Shortly after her death,
she appeared to one of the sisters of her community and told her
that she was willing to return to a life of suffering until the
end of time to merit the degree of glory which God rewards one
devoutly recited Hail Mary.

What
a wonderful consolation to know that we can be assured of salvation
by giving just fifteen minutes a day to praying the Rosary.

I
believe in God the Father Almighty,
Creator of Heaven and earth;
I believe in Jesus Christ,
His only Son, our Lord,
He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit
and born of the Virgin Mary.
He suffered under Pontius Pilate,
was crucified, died, and was buried.
He descended to the dead.
On the third day He rose again.
He ascended into Heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Holy Catholic Church,
the communion of Saints,
the forgiveness of sins,
the resurrection of the body,
and the life everlasting.
Amen

Our
Father

Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,

thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give
us this day our daily bread,

and
forgive us our trespasses,

as
we forgive those who trespass against us,

and
lead us not into temptation,

but
deliver us from evil.

Amen

Hail
Mary

Hail,
Mary! Full of grace,

The
Lord is with thee,

Blessed
are thou among women,

and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy
Mary, Mother of God,

pray
for us sinners,

now,
and at the hour of our death.

Amen

1st

2nd

3rd

Glory
Be

Glory
be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.

When
Adam and Eve sinned in Paradise, they lost their right to happiness.
But God promised to send His only Son to regain this happiness
for them. Out of all the world, God chose Mary to be the Mother
of His Son. One day the Angel Gabriel from heaven appeared to her. "Hail,
full of grace!" he cried. And he told her that she was to
be the Mother of the Most High. Mary answered, "Behold the
handmaid of the Lord!" At that moment the Second Person of
the Blessed Trinity, GodÃ­s Son, entered the world. This is called
the Incarnation.

Our
Father

Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,

thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give
us this day our daily bread,

and
forgive us our trespasses,

as
we forgive those who trespass against us,

and
lead us not into temptation,

but
deliver us from evil.

Amen

Hail
Mary

Hail,
Mary! Full of grace,

The
Lord is with thee,

Blessed
are thou among women,

and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy
Mary, Mother of God,

pray
for us sinners,

now,
and at the hour of our death.

Amen

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

Glory
Be

Glory
be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.

Amen

O
My Jesus

O
my Jesus,
forgive us our sins,
save us from the fire of hell,
lead all souls to heaven,
especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy.

The
Angel Gabriel told Mary that her cousin Elizabeth, though an
old lady, was to have a little son. This son was St. John the
Baptist.
So immediately Mary hurried over the hills to take care of her
cousin. When Elizabeth saw her, she cried, "Blessed art thou
among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb." Mary
answered by singing the Magnificat. Mary stayed with her cousin
until John
the Baptist was born. She was ElizabethÃ­s little nurse and maid
servant. When John was born and Elizabeth was strong again, Mary
returned to her own home to wait for the birth of her own dear
Son, Jesus.

Our
Father

Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,

thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give
us this day our daily bread,

and
forgive us our trespasses,

as
we forgive those who trespass against us,

and
lead us not into temptation,

but
deliver us from evil.

Amen

Hail
Mary

Hail,
Mary! Full of grace,

The
Lord is with thee,

Blessed
are thou among women,

and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy
Mary, Mother of God,

pray
for us sinners,

now,
and at the hour of our death.

Amen

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

Glory
Be

Glory
be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.

Amen

O
My Jesus

O
my Jesus,
forgive us our sins,
save us from the fire of hell,
lead all souls to heaven,
especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy.

The
proud Roman Emperor ordered all his citizens to pay their taxes
in their home cities. So Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary
traveled to Bethlehem. Bethlehem was so full of visitors they
could not find a place to sleep. So they went out to a little
stable
in a hill. And there Jesus, the Savior of the world, was born.
A glorious star shone in the heavens. Angels sang, "Glory
to God in the highest and on earth peace to men of good will!" Shepherds
came to adore the newborn King. Wise Men from the east brought
Him lovely gifts. Mary was deeply happy. She lifted Him high
for the world to see. This was the first Christmas.

Our
Father

Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,

thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give
us this day our daily bread,

and
forgive us our trespasses,

as
we forgive those who trespass against us,

and
lead us not into temptation,

but
deliver us from evil.

Amen

Hail
Mary

Hail,
Mary! Full of grace,

The
Lord is with thee,

Blessed
are thou among women,

and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy
Mary, Mother of God,

pray
for us sinners,

now,
and at the hour of our death.

Amen

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

Glory
Be

Glory
be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.

Amen

O
My Jesus

O
my Jesus,
forgive us our sins,
save us from the fire of hell,
lead all souls to heaven,
especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy.

All
men and women are the children of God. The holy Jews carried
each first born son to the Temple and offered him to God. Then
in his
place, they gave God a lamb or, if they were poor, a pair of
pure white doves. So Mary carried her Son to the Temple. She
offered
Him to God. Then, because she was poor, she offered in His place
two white doves. But a great prophet called Simeon saw the Baby
and knew this was the Savior of the world. He cried aloud in
his joy. And a wise old lady named Anna blessed Him and His dear
Mother.
Then Mary carried her Son home again. She was His beloved nurse
and teacher and protector.

Our
Father

Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,

thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give
us this day our daily bread,

and
forgive us our trespasses,

as
we forgive those who trespass against us,

and
lead us not into temptation,

but
deliver us from evil.

Amen

Hail
Mary

Hail,
Mary! Full of grace,

The
Lord is with thee,

Blessed
are thou among women,

and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy
Mary, Mother of God,

pray
for us sinners,

now,
and at the hour of our death.

Amen

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

Glory
Be

Glory
be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.

Amen

O
My Jesus

O
my Jesus,
forgive us our sins,
save us from the fire of hell,
lead all souls to heaven,
especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy.

The
Jewish Temple was GodÃ­s house on earth. When Jesus was twelve
years old, Joseph and Mary took Him to Jerusalem where the Temple
stood.
Jesus loved His FatherÃ­s house. So when Mary and Joseph returned
to Nazareth, their home town, He stayed behind. He knew that
God wished Him to stay longer in His FatherÃ­s house. Soon Mary
and
Joseph found that Jesus was lost. They hurried back to the Temple.
For three days and nights they looked everywhere for Him. Finally,
they found Him seated among the doctors and priests. He was asking
them wise questions and teaching them about the Savior. He did
this because this was "His FatherÃ­s business." Then
quietly He returned to Nazareth with Joseph and Mary and for
the rest of
His youth, He was perfectly obedient to them.

Our
Father

Our
Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name,

thy
kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

Give
us this day our daily bread,

and
forgive us our trespasses,

as
we forgive those who trespass against us,

and
lead us not into temptation,

but
deliver us from evil.

Amen

Hail
Mary

Hail,
Mary! Full of grace,

The
Lord is with thee,

Blessed
are thou among women,

and
blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.

Holy
Mary, Mother of God,

pray
for us sinners,

now,
and at the hour of our death.

Amen

1st

2nd

3rd

4th

5th

6th

7th

8th

9th

10th

Glory
Be

Glory
be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning,
is now,
and ever shall be,
world without end.

Amen

O
My Jesus

O
my Jesus,
forgive us our sins,
save us from the fire of hell,
lead all souls to heaven,
especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy.